New Creation Soda Works, a family-owned business out of Bishop, Georgia, won the grand prize at the 2024 Flavor of Georgia food contest with their PECHES Georgia Peach Soda. Starting at a local farmer's market in 2015, the company now distributes its soda line, featuring flavors like strawberry habanero and classic root beer, to over 700 locations nationwide.
PECHES Georgia Peach Soda, the winning concoction blends peaches sourced from Crawford County based Pearson Farm with purified carbonated water and pure cane sugar, offering a caffeine-free drink without high fructose corn syrup.
New Creation Soda Works was among 36 finalists narrowed down from 139 entries during the first round of judging last month. The grand prize scored the company an annual convention (a $1,500 value) and three consultation sessions from the UGA Food Product Innovation and Commercialization Center (FoodPIC) on product or process design, ingredient functionality, sensory testing or shelf-life determination (a $1,500 value).
Flavor of Georgia, a University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) Signature Event organized by the Department of Food Science and Technology (FST), has helped launch small, startup food companies while garnering recognition in new markets for established brands since 2007. The contest is supported by presenting sponsor AGCO, as well as the Georgia Department of Agriculture and Georgia Grown, the CAES Alumni Association, Farm Credit Associations of Georgia and Corteva Agriscience.
